Lightfoot Franklin & White is an Alabama-headquartered litigation boutique with offices in Birmingham and Houston, Texas. The firm’s standing has been cemented by unanimous peer and client review – in keeping with this, Lightfoot was the recipient of the "Alabama Firm of the Year" award for the eighth consecutive year at the Benchmark Litigation awards in 2024, a remarkable honor. An appreciative client confirms, “Lightfoot has a number of attorneys that I trust. The legal analysis and writing is top notch, and they have excellent trial lawyers.” While the firm is addressed as “the top litigation shop in [Alabama],” its reputation extends beyond the state’s borders, with additional admirers throughout the Southeast region and clients retaining the firm for national-level appointments. One peer quips, “Lightfoot just keeps on blowin’ and goin’!”
One such client is GM, which has come to rely on Lightfoot’s product liability trial expertise.
Rachel Larysuccessfully defended GM in Georgia, in a case in which the plaintiff alleged that a defect in the vehicle's glass resulted in the loss of his left eye during an accident. Despite amending his complaint three times and seeking to do so for a fourth, Lightfoot moved to dismiss the claim based on statute of limitations grounds and opposed the plaintiff's fourth attempt to amend the complaint. The federal court ruled in favor of Lightfoot's stance and the automaker, dismissing the case. This dismissal was upheld at the Eleventh Circuit in February 2024. Lightfoot’s reputation for national-level auto clients extends to another of the Detroit “Big Three,” Ford.
Melody Eagan successfully defended this client at the Eleventh Circuit in an appellate matter originating from a 2016 car accident. In this case, the plaintiff decedent’s estate sued the automobile manufacturer in 2018, asserting that a defective seat belt design in the vehicle was the causative factor for the decedent's fatal injuries. In a product liability wrongful death case, the plaintiff sought millions in punitive damages. However, the jury returned a favorable verdict for the automaker. A 2021 decision at the Eleventh Circuit was fortified by its decision in August 2023 not to re-hear the case. Lee Hollis is defending Olin in several mass-action suits alleging trespass, nuisance, and negligence following chlorine leaks at one of its chemical plants. Almost 400 plaintiffs, who live near the chemical plant, have asserted claims for various health issues and depreciation of their property value, with claims exceeding $20 million. Hollis also is representing Numotion against claims of strict product liability, negligence, fraud and deceptive trade practice claims related to Numotion’s marketing and allegations that Numotion failed to use pressure mapping to detect a potential issue in the seat sling of the plaintiff’s wheelchair. The plaintiff alleges breach of the standard of care occurred when a seat cushion was delivered without an assistive technology professional, eventually resulting in development of a pressure sore. Additionally, plaintiffs assert Numotion fraudulently concealed and misrepresented its capabilities to prevent these types of injuries and also engaged in related deceptive trade practices. The case settled favorably on the eve of trial in February 2024.
Michael Bell and Haley Cox serve as the regional trial counsel for Terminix, overseeing a docket of over 60 active cases spanning the Southeast. These cases are centered around consumer fraud claims tied to Terminix’s termite control services, with each case involving claims alleging millions in damages.
Beyond product liability, Jack Sharman, who attends to a white-collar practice, is representing a senior engineering executive in a rigorous federal criminal investigation conducted by the DoJ’s Environmental Crimes Section. This high-profile case involves a leading Japanese global manufacturer of combustion engines and focuses on alleged violations of EPA emissions standards, the integrity of emissions testing processes, and the potential use of prohibited "defeat devices" to manipulate performance outcomes in contravention of environmental regulations.
